Nut-lock



(No Model.)

J. O. GOOK ERLEY.

NUT LOOK. I

Patented June 30, 1885.

w .I Z 7 NI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSIAH O. COOKERLEY, OF SOUTH MILFORD, INDIANA.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,914, dated June30,1885.

Application filed April 25, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSIAH O. CooKERLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at South Milford, in the county of Lagrange and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Nut-Locks, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to nut-locks, and to that class of the same inwhich awasher plate is interposed at the base of the nut to lock it fromfurther movement after it has been tightened.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which will be simple in its construction, and which will beproof against accidental displacement, owing to expansion orcontraction, and which may be readily applied in position and detachedat will.

The said invention consists in certain details of construction and novelcombinations of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved nut-lock, showing the samein its locked position. Fig. 2 is afront elevation. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same,and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the washer-plate detached.

Like letters are used to indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the rail; B, the fish-plate; O,the bolt; and D, the nut. These several parts being of the usualconstruction, therefore need not be further described here.

E designates my improvement, which consists of a rectangular piece ofmetal of any suitable thickness, slitted or divided on a horizontal linenearly its entire length to form spring-sections F G. These sections areeach provided with an opening, cm, respectively, which are aligned witheach other, so as to allow the passage of the bolt through the same. Theupper portion of the section F is cut out in a longitudinal line, as atb, and the corresponding portions of the section G are slottedlongitudinally, as at d, the remaining portion of the section G, abovethis slot, forming a spring-tongue, H, for the purpose presentlydescribed.

' It will be observed that by slotting the plate E on a horizontal linenearly its entire length, as before described, this plate is dividedinto spring-sections, the outer portion of this horizontal slot beinggreater in width than the inner portion, so that the front ends of thespring-sections will have increased elasticity and may be forcedtogether by the operation of the nut.

It will alsobe seen that the spring-tongue H is normally on a horizontalline with the outer spring-section, G, and thus, when said section ispressed inward toward the othe'r,this tongue will come up and restagainst one'ofthe faces or sides of the nut. Since the inner section,F,is cut out below the tongue, the latter is enabled to have aspring-action inwardly, so as to be pressed or forced inward by a hammeror the like out of engagement with the nut when unlocking the latter.

The operation of my invention is as follows: After the bolt has beenproperly adjusted 1n position the washer-plate is passed around the boltover the fish-plate, the tongue Hbeing at the top and below the head ofthe rail. The nut is then turned over the threaded end of the bolt, andin this action presses the outer or front end of the spring-section Ginwardly, forcing it toward the inner section, F. Since the tongue Hrests on a horizontal plane with the outer section, G, when the latteris in its normal position, this tongue will remain in its position whilethe outer section is being compressed by the operation of the nut. Thisbeing so, the nut, as it is forced inward by reason of the yieldingcomes below (at its inner edge) the horizontal plane of the tongue H, sothat the latter will catch partly around the side of the nut, facing thetongue, and hold it from movement. Should this engagement of the tonguewith the nut beinsufficient, the operator can, by means of a chisel orlike instrument, pry or force this tongue further outward to provide amore firm engagement and avoid all possibility of accidental detachment.In unlocking, the tongue is pressed inwardlytoward the fish-plate untilit is thrown out of engagement with the nut, when the latter may bescrewed off in the usual manner.

My improvement provides simple means for locking the nut, and cannot beinfluenced by of the outer section, G,"

sudden changes of the temperature to cause the accidental detachment ofthe nut. The nut is securely held in place, is readily unlocked, and theapplication of the improvement may be made with ease and facility.

I have shown my improvement as applied to rail-joints, this being thespecial adaptation of the same; but I would have it understood that I donot wish to be limited to this special use, for it will be obvious thatthelock may be applied to all parts of machinery where it is desired tohold the nut from becoming detached, and thus prevent trouble andannoyance to the workmen.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a nut-lock the bolt andnut, in combination with the washer, slitted or divided horizontally toform two spring-sections, the outer one of which is adapted to be forcedinward by the pressure of the nut, said washer being slittedlongitudinally to form a'springtongue which is normally on a line withthe outer spring-section, so that when the latter is pressed inwardduring the operationof the nut the tongue will come up against one ofthe sides of the nut, as set forth.

2. The herein-described nut-lockiug washer formed in a single piece,comprising two spring sections having their outer ends spring apart togive increased elasticity and allow them to yield, and a tongue providedon one side of the sections so as to come up against the side of thenut, as set forth.

3. In a nut-lock, the bolt and nut, in combination with the washerformed with two spring-sections having the front or outer ends sprungapart, aligned perforations provided through the sect-ions, alongitudinal slot formed in the outer section to provide a spring-tonguewhich is on a line with the normal position of the outer section, and acutaway portion formed in the inner section to allow the movement of thetongue inwardly, whereby said tongue remains in its position while thenut is being operated to press the outer springsection inward, as setforth.

- 4. In a nut-lock, the bolt and nut, in combination with a washer,comprising a plate slitted or divided horizontally for a portion of itslength to form two spring-sections, the outer ends of which are sprungapart, aligned perforations provided through the latter, a longitudinalslot formed in the outer section to provide a spring-tongue which is ona line with the normal position of the outer section, and a cut-awayportion formed in the inner section to allow the movement of the tongue,for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSIAH O. GOOKERLEY.

Vitnesses THOMAS L. GRAVES, FRANK H. KINGLER.

